Ore-separator



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. O. CAMPBELL. ORE SEPARATOR No. 415,445. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. O. CAMPBELL.

ORB SEPARATOR.

No. 415,445. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

INVENTOR WITNESSES: 6AM.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. G. CAMPBELL.

ORE SEPARATOR.

Patented Nov. 19, 188

WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO CAllIPBELL, OF NASHVILLE, 'IENNESSEE.

ORE-SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,445, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed November 13,1888. Serial No. 290,687. (No model.)

To aZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNzo C. CAMPBELL, of Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Ore-Separator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to ore -separators such as shown and described in Patent No. 335,338, granted to me February 2, 1886.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ore-separator which is simple and durable in construction and very effective in operation, whether by water or air, for separating ores and other minerals into their different grades of density.

The invention consists in certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is'a plan view of the improvement. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on the line w x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the vibrating pan 011 the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. l is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the hinged legs and the device for operating the same. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of part of the vibrating pan. Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional elevation of the pan and connections of the incline adjusting device. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the vibrating device, partly in section. Fig. 9 is a sectional rear side elevation of the same on the line 2 .zof Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the perforated false bot-tom in the vibrating pan and the tool for making the slits or perforations, and Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of one end of the vibrating pan.

The improved ore-separator is provided with a longitudinally-vibrating pan A, having two compartments B and C, formed by a false bottom D, held in the said pan A between its removable top A and the bottom A The false bottom D extends throughout the length of the pan A and is curved sidewise, so that the middle of the lower compartment C is higher than its sides, as is plainly shown in Fig. 7.

I11 the false bottolnD are formed a number of transverse slits D, (plainly illustrated in Figs. 6 and 10,) said slits being preferably made by a tool D provided on its lower end with a sharp edge for cutting a slit D in the false bottom D, at the same time pressing part of the latter downward, as is illustrated in Fig. 10.

On the under side of the bottom A of the vibrating pan A are secured the transverselyextending beams A each provided with hinges A connected with the extension-legs E E, each preferably made of two posts E and E provided with the slots E* and E respectively, said posts being secured together by a bolt E passing through the said slots E and The posts E and E are passed over each other, and may be adjusted to any desired height by loosening said bolt E and slipping said post s over each other until the desired height is reached, after which the bolt E is again screwed up to fasten the two posts E and E together. To the lower end of each post E is held the transversely-extending bar E connected by the hinges E to a transversely-extending base E, resting on the ground or door on which the ore-separator is to be mounted. The hinges E and E permit the legs E to swing forward and backward, at the same time imparting a vibrating motion longitudinally to the pan A.

On the under side of the bottom A of the pan A and near its front end, which is curved upward at this part, is secured a bumper F, adapted to strike against the post G secured in the ground. On the post G is secured one end of a spring H, connected at its other end by a nut H to a plate H held on the front leg E. A pin I is adapted to be inserted at any desired place into the spring H, said pin I being connected with one end of a chain 1', extending horizontally, and connected at its other end to a hook 1 hooked over a crankpin 1, secured in a disk 1 mounted to turn loosely on a shaft 1 mounted in suitable bearings secured on the floor or ground. Said shaft I is connected by suitable means with machinery for imparting a rotary motion to the said shaft. On the latter, next to the disk 1 is secured an arm 1 adapted to engage and carry along a pin 1 secured to the inner face of the disk I. The revolution of the fixed arm I causes the crankdisk I to move half around, atthe same time pulling, by means of the chain I, on the pin I, which stretches that part of the spring at the right of the pin I and coinpresses that part of the spring on the. left of the pin 1, at the same time pushing the front leg E, so that the latter is swung toward the rear in the direction of the arrow a, (see Fig. 2,) whereby the other leg is similarly moved and a like motion imparted to the pan A, which is thereby drawn from the bumpingpost G. The moment the crank-pin I passes the dead-center the tension of the part of the spring H on the right of the pin I draws quickly thecrank-disk l the remaining half of the revolution, at the same time drawing on the pin I and the spring part on the left of the pin I and on the front leg E, thereby causing the pan A to swing forward in the inverse direction of the arrow a. This accelerated forward movement is arrested by the bumper F of the pan A striking against the post G, thereby making a concussion.

The constant revolving of the shaft I gives an alternate bumping and reciprocating movement to the pan A. In order to increase the agitation, I provide the under side of the bottom A of the pan A with downwardly-extending spring-rods J, on which slide weights J, adapted to be secured nearer to or farther from the bottom A on the spring-rods J by set-screws J On the cover A of the pan A are formed the short pipes A and A in the slightlycurved part-s A formed in the said cover A.

The short pipes Aiand A are adapted to be closed by plugs A and serve as inlet-pipes for the stuff to be treated. When one of the plugs A is moved from the respective pipe A or A, a hopper K may be supported on said pipe, and the stuff is thrown into the said hopper K by any suitable means so as to enter the upper compartment B. I provide several inlet-pipes A and A, so as to charge in the stuff to be treated near the front end or the rear end of the pan A, as desired.

Into the lower compartment 0 opens pipe L, provided with avalve and adapted to be connected by a flexible hose 71 with a suitable source of water to supply the water for the pan. Other pipes L, L and L are distributed on the lower compartment 0, and similar in construction to the pipe L. One or more of these pipes L, L or L may be used for conveying water in suitable quantities and pressure to the pan, the remaining pipes serving as discharge for the hutch-work.

In the top compartment B on each side are held the hinged gates or valves N, resting at their lower ends on top of the perforated false bottom D. In the front of the compartment B is ,held a gate or valve -N, which extends from side to side of the pan A, and when opened permits the concentrates to pass to an mentioned. shaft I gives an alternate bumping and re.-

outlet-pipe 0, held in the front elevated end of the pan A, and directing the concentrates into. a transversely-extending receptacle P.

The outer end of the pipe 0 is adapted to be end, is formed a pipe S,connected by a flexible tube 8 with a water-supply for charging the upper compartment B of the pan A with the head-'water, which is to clean and drive back such materials as should not escape with the concentrates. Near the pipe is locateda short pipe T, also opening into the upper compartment B, and provided with a plug T for closing the upper end of the said pipe T. The latter serves for examining the state of the concentrates and working the latter to relieve any choking or imperfect action of discharge.

In the rear end of the cover A is formed an opening A and serving to discharge the tailings. perforated false bottom D are preferably made of sheet metal and secured at their ends to a frame-work which forms the height of the pan A. Suitable layers of packing material are placed between thewooden framework and the metal, as is plainly illustrated in Fig. 11, so as to make the pan A watertight.

The operation is as follows: One of the pipes The bottom A**, the cover A, and the L, L, L or L being connected with a suitable source of water-supply, supplies thecompartment 0 of the pan A with water. The stuff is charged through the hopper K into the upper compartment B of the pan A, so that itfalls onto the perforated false bottom D. At the same time a rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 1 so that the pan A is vibrated, as above described, and a permission takes place at every revolution of the shaft I as before The constant revolution of the ciprocating motion to the pan. The stuff charged into the pan directly from the battery without any previous sizing is acted on at every percussion and flows forward in the direction of the arrow Z). At thesame time the water in the compartment 0, by its pressure, passes through the slits D in the false bottom D,t-hereby lifting the sand in the compartment B, so that the sand is assorted ac cording to the different grades of density, the

more dense grades falling to the bottom and flowing down the convexity of the false bottom to one side, to finally settle along the sides a rapid separation of the sand into grades according to density, while the percussion carries the two lateral streams of concentrates toward the front end of the pan, where they accumulate and are discharged at a rate regulated by the spring valve or gate Q. The finest concentrates percolate through the slits -D, fall onto the bottom A of the pan A, and

by the action caused by the percussion produce a second separation into different grades, which can be discharged from the pipes L L L The first grade naturally passes through the pipe L, the second through the pipe L the third through the pipe L the. Sometimes all of these discharge-pipes are closed so as to force the finer concentrates through the slits again by the action of the water introduced into the lower compartment C. These finer concentrates are then discharged with the coarser grades through the gates Q into the receptacle P. The fine mineral serves to crowd out the barren sand as the more dense finer grades gravitate more persistently to the interstices of the coarser grades. WVhen the pan is quickly moved forward toward the bumping-post G, the sand is disposed to move toward the rear, and this would defeat the desired advance movement; but the gates N prevent this backward movement of the sand, and thus favor a rapid forward movement of the streams of concentrates toward the front end of the pan A. As the barren lighter sand rises on top in the middle of the compartment B, and centrally on the convexity of the working-surface of the false bottom D, it is more at liberty to escape to the rear and pass through the opening A as tailings. The crosswise-extending gate N at the front end of the pan A serves to retain an accumulation of concentrates, which is necessary to insure perfectly-clean separation and a regular discharge. The space left in the center of the compartment 0 between the false bottom D and the bottom A should be about half an inch, and at the sides of the pan A the false bottom 1) should almost touch the bottom A. For the separation of very fine grades of sand, the false bottom D should be nearer the bottom A The cover A of the pan A may be made removable in any desired manner, so that the pan may be used without the cover. However, the water-tight cover gives the water a greater driving-power, as it must remove the top layer of sand from the top of the false bottom D in order to make its escape at the tail discharge. The machine thus accomplishes more rapid and thorough work, and also prevents any packing, such as is usually due to rapid feeding.

The valves N in the false bottom act air tomatically in allowing the more dense substances to pass under and the lighter sand to pass over. They also prevent any back sliding of the two streams of concentrates on the sides of the pan A in the compartment B. At the same time they serve to give an accelerated advance movement as they are lifted by the inertia of their weight due to the concussion of the pan, and also by the buoyancy of the flow of concentrates. The action of the weighted spring-rods J on the pan A serves to keep the particles of ore-sand thoroughly disengaged, so that the more dense mineral will quickly reach its proper place in the lower stratum. They also act to produce rapid. regurgitations of air or water through the transverse slits D in the false bottom D, thus assisting the separation of the stuff into different grades of density, and also driving the finer concentrates through the slits to discharge them into the lower compartment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an ore-separator, the combination,with a reciprocating pan having a perforated false bottom, and hinged gates resting on the upper face of the said bottom along the sides thereof, of a pipe for conducting water or air in the pan below the said false bottom, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an ore-separator, the combination,with a reciprocating pan, of vibrating spring-rods depending from the bottom of the pan, substantially as set forth.

3. In an ore-separator, the combin ation,with a closed pan having a reciprocating motion, of a perforated curved false bottomdividing the said pan into an upper and a lower compartment, and hinged valves or gates held in the uppermost compartment at the sides of the pan, and resting with their lower ends 011 the top of the lowermost part of the said curved false bottom, substantially as shown and described.

4. In an ore-separator, the combination,with a closed pan having a reciprocating motion, of a perforated curved false bottom dividing the said pan into an upper and a lower compartment, and hinged valves or gates held in the uppermost compartment at the sides of the pan, resting with their lower ends on the top of the lowermost part of the said curved false bottom, and a main gate extending transversely from side to side of the said pan in the front end of the uppermost compartment, substantially as shown and described.

5. In an ore-separator, the combination,with a closed pan having a reciprocating motion, of a perforated curved false bottom dividing the said pan into an upper and a lower compartment, and hinged valves or gates held in the uppermost compartment at the sides of the pan, resting with their lower ends on the top of the lowermost part of the said curved false bottom, a main gate extending transversely from side to side of the said pan in the front end of the uppermost compartment, and a discharge-pipe extending from the front end of the uppermost compartment in the said pan, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an ore-separator, the combination,with

' and provided with an opening, and a springgate held at the end of the said pipe, substantially as shown and described.

7. In an ore-separator, the combination,with

- a pan having a reciprocating motion, of a perforated curved false bottom held in the said pan to divide the latter into an upper and a lower compartment, hinged valves or gates held in the uppermost compartment of the said pan, and weighted spring-rodsfsecured to the under side of the said pan, substantially as shown and described.

8. In an ore-separaton-the combination,with a pan and means, substantially as described, for imparting a reciprocating motion to the said pan, of a perforated curved false bottom held in the said pan and dividing the latter into an upper and a lower compartment, hinged valves held in the said upper compartment at its sides, and pipes leading into the lower and upper compartments, substantially as shown and described.

9. In an ore-separator, the con1bination,with a pan and means, substantially as described, for imparting a reciprocating motion to the said pan, of aperforated curved false bottom held in the said pan and-dividing the latter into an upper and a lowercompartment,hinged valves held in the said upper compartment at its sides, pipes having valves and leading into the lower and upper compartments, and weighted spring-arms secured to the under side of the said pan, substantially as set forth.

10. In an ore-separator, the combination, with a pan and means, substantially as dedischarginginto the upper compartment, substantially as shown and described.

11. In an ore-separator, the combination, with a pan having a perforated curved false bottom, and hinged gates held in the said pan above the said false bottom and at its sides, of extension-legs supporting the said pan, mounted to rock and serving to place the said pan in an inclined position, substantially as shown and described.

12. In an ore-separator, a pan having a false curved perforated bottom, hinged valves held in the said pan above and at the sides of the said false bottom, and a bumper secured to the front end of the said pan, in combination with a post against which, strikes the said bumper, and hinged extension-legs hinged to the under side of the said pan and having a rocking motion, substantially as shown and described.

13. In an ore-separator, a pan having a false curved perforated bottom, hinged valves held in the said pan above and at the sides of the said false bottom, and a bumper secured to the front end of the said pan, in combination with a post against which strikes the said bumper, hinged extension-legs hinged to the under side of the said pan and having a rocking motion, and a spring oonnectingone of .the said extension-legs with the said post,

substantially as shown and described.

14. In' an ore-separator, the combination, with are'ciprocating pan, of depending springrods secured to the bottom thereof, and weights adjustable on the rods, substantially as set forth. 1

ALONZO C. CAMPBELL.

lVitnesses:

LEMUEL) R. CAMPBELL, M. '1. BRYAN. 

